Karl Parkinson says the government needs to do more to encourage adults into education, and make it possible for them to work while they learn, if it wants to plug the skills gap.
According to figures released by the Learning and Skills Council in December 2007, 700,000 learners have been lost to publicly funded adult education during 2006/07 - a decline of 1.4m adult learners in a space of two years. These figures are certainly concerning from an economic perspective. With many UK industries experiencing a shortage in skills, and UK applications to many degree courses, including IT, tumbling by up to 50% over the last five years, the demand for a capable and qualified workforce has never been greater. So, is enough being done to encourage adults to return to education and help plug the gap in skills?
"Adults who need to remain in full-time employment, yet want to re-enter education, are left with no alternative but to fund their own training or not train at all – I'm sad to say it's usually the latter."Obstacles to overcome
Unfortunately re-entering education for many would-be adult learners is still an unattainable feat. Family and current work commitments provide one of the most significant obstacles.
Currently the funding available for adults wishing to return to education is limited to say the least. Learner support funds are provided for young adults attending further education, sixth forms or colleges, who are economically disadvantaged or considered 'at risk'. Adult learning grants are also available, which provide up to £30-a-week to help cover the costs of learning – providing recipients attend an educational institution that is approved by the Learning and Skills Council, spend at least 12 hours a week in guided study and train towards level two or three qualifications - qualifications that are not in demand by industry.
Other state funding is available for adults already in employment looking to improve their vocational skills, through government initiatives such as Train to Gain. However, this type of funding is channelled through employers, which makes it impossible for adult career changers wishing to improve their prospects through moving into other industries.
Distance learning is a solution in these cases and can offer a way forward for those wanting to improve their prospects and earning potential through training towards professional, industry recognised qualifications. Although some funding is available for online courses, through learndirect for example, the qualifications gained are basic and do not measure up to most employers' expectations - viewed by many as tools for CV development rather than career development.
With a significant skills gap in industries demanding professional qualifications such as IT, telecoms and finance, there needs to be support for individuals to move from one industry to the next. Currently, if someone wants to study an ACCA to become an accountant or an MCSE to work in IT, the qualifications need to be self funded.
Strict eligibility criteria for course funding, in addition to the way some funding is channelled, means that adults who need to remain in full-time employment, yet want to re-enter education, are left with no alternative but to fund their own training or not train at all – I'm sad to say it's usually the latter option that's selected.
A need for change
The recent introduction of the trial of Adult Learner Accounts across selected regions in England is a step in the right direction to empowering adults looking to return to education. The accounts provide information, advice and guidance to ensure that the provider and the programme selected match the aspirations of the adult learner. In addition, the scheme is more flexible than traditional funding options and provides people with more choice and control over their learning. Having said this, there is still a long way to go to make Adult Learner Accounts accessible to the often overlooked adult learner – the career changer.
In my opinion, we are a long way off offering the support needed to encourage adults back into education. State funded qualifications - while valuable to personal development - do little to improve chances of employment in professional roles, or help to plug the skills gap impacting on many sectors, or sustain the UK's economy. The government needs to do more to address the imbalance of funding for adult learning to support both the workforce and industry in a meaningful way.
Karl Parkinson is the chairman of IT training provider Computeach.
